


Just A Kiss Away

by Hekmugi



Category: Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart (Cartoon)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Anal Sex, Hand Jobs, Light Angst, M/M, Sweat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:06:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24316255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hekmugi/pseuds/Hekmugi
Summary: A slightly-altered ending to Chapter 5 of, "The Ruby, By Vengeance, Begyved", where Mao Mao gets a little extra 'push' to make his potential last night with Badgerclops count.
Relationships: Badgerclops/Mao Mao Mao
Comments: 9
Kudos: 32





	Just A Kiss Away

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HauntedClock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HauntedClock/gifts).



> I've never done a fanfic of a fanfic before. Let alone a smutfic of a fanfic.  
> The setting won't make sense if you haven't read the source material, so absolutely do so before getting into this! I can verify that it is an absolutely astounding story, and it inspired me to pick the pen back up.  
> Yes, I got consent to do this. It was an amazing privilege to get to do this fic, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Two ice cubes clinked against the side of the glass, sliding against the interior as Mao Mao greedily gulped the water down his parched gullet. The humid day had given way to a muggy twilight, obscuring the setting sun in an amber haze. There was hardly a breeze to be found among the trees of the Infinite Forest, and the dense canopy did a miserably good job of trapping the temperature inside. To make matters worse, the air conditioner had stopped working earlier that day, leaving not only Mao Mao, but the rest of the gang with little recourse but to suffer in silence amidst a labyrinth of fans.

Exhaling through his nose, Mao Mao slumped against his seat as he stared at the ochre sky. Tipping the now-empty glass upside-down, he dumped the ice cubes into his mouth and shattered them between his fangs. The cold, numbing crunch soothed him as he closed his eyes and let the myriad of fans toss his fur in every direction. The gang had retired early, attempting to remain cool with varying degrees of failure. Hosstrich rocked on the loveseat swing, a tall glass of sweet tea in his hand and occasionally patting his brow with a handkerchief that he held in the other. Ramaraffe had her face stuck in front of a fan on its max setting, and Ratarang reclined in an improvised ice bath on the table, which he had constructed out of an old iron pot and a couple cup-fulls of ice. Orangusnake, perhaps the beefiest of them all, simply laid on the deck, face down and flanked on every side by large fans.

Mao Mao swore under his breath as he dragged his naked arm across his brow, feeling tiny bullets of sweat flinging off of his vantablack fur. His protective wear for the day—a now-thoroughly-soiled flannel button-down shirt—hung off of him, unbuttoned and with the sleeves rolled up past his elbow. The white sleeveless shirt underneath had dark spots around his chest and armpits, indicative of the long hours he had spent sweating in it as they made their final preparations for the Airship’s return to service. His sturdier denim pants were unbuttoned and unzipped, bulging with matted fur in a crude attempt at letting the desperately-overheated region of his body breathe. At this moment, he missed his hero clothes more than ever, and he cursed his partner’s decisions in designing his wardrobe—which now consisted solely of autumn wear of a similar caliber.

Setting the glass on the table, Mao Mao crossed his arms as he stared ahead through tired eyes. He was too hot to fall asleep, so he stewed in his misery. Badgerclops gave him a glance, shooting him a smile as he fumbled to his feet from the other end of the bench.

“I’m gonna try to turn in early tonight. You’re welcome to come with, if you’d like.”

Mao Mao raised an eyebrow as he glanced at his partner. “Thanks, but I think I’ll hang out here for a little while longer.”

Badgerclops’ smile faded a bit as he grunted in affirmation. “Alright. I guess I’ll… catch you later, then.”

Mao Mao modded. “Yeah, I’ll be in later. Don’t stay up for me, we need to be on our A-game tomorrow.”

Badgerclops sucked his teeth. “Y-yep, you bet. Big… big day tomorrow. Yeah.”

He sighed as he turned his back to the gang, stumbling inside with slouched shoulders.

Mao Mao avoided looking towards the door until Badgerclops shut it behind him. He felt a twinge of guilt, but he couldn’t quite figure out why. The old swing squeaked with renewed vigor, snapping Mao Mao out of his momentary musing. He turned towards the source of the noise, looking at Hosstrich as he began to speak without making eye contact.

“I reckon we’ll be gettin’ a move-on tomorrow, if’n we don’t expire overnight.”

Mao Mao nodded. “Seems like it. You ready?”

Hosstrich chuckled. “Well, at the risk ‘a soundin’ cliché, I figure there ain’t nothin’ we can’t accomplish together.”

“That’s a good attitude to have.” Mao Mao nodded.

“A’course, I’ve got the creepin’ suspicion that we don’t quite know what all it is that we’re gettin’ ourselves into, if you catch my meanin’.” Hosstrich said, lowering his voice.

“What do you mean?”

  
“Well, you say all this queer business done been caused by that Ruby Pure Heart, right? But, well, if it had the power to… change reality, or something,” Hosstrich made a circular motion with his hand, “then, well, what else can it do? And what are we about to fly ourselves into?”

Mao Mao crossed his arms. “Now isn’t the time to be having doubts, Hoss. Assuming you  _ are _ right, that just makes it all the more imperative that we find our resolve before we set off.”

Hosstrich waved a dismissive hand at Mao Mao. “I know, I know, son. I ain’t sayin’ that I’m turnin’ yellow-bellied. Heaven knows I’ve gone up against steeper odds.”

Hosstrich planted his feet on the ground, halting his swinging for a moment and taking a long drink. Sighing, he reached for a bottle on the floor. Bottle in hand, he began pouring the contents into his now-half-empty sweet tea glass. The otherwise-nondescript glass container had a simple paper wrapping around the midsection with three “X” symbols in black ink. Above the wrapping was the Sky Pirates’ signature serpent logo, imprinted just below the neck. Giving the now-full glass a gentle stir with his hand, Hosstrich took a sip. He grimaced and grit his teeth together as he hissed out an exhale.

The minutes ticked by like hours as Mao Mao’s mind wandered. For the first time since they left the city, his mind began to recalculate the next steps of their mission. It was true that he had no idea what awaited them at Pure Heart Valley, and he didn’t know if Snugglemagne would be there. Or Adorabat. Or anyone at all, for that matter. He never considered that the power of the Ruby, if it were strong enough to reshape reality, could be more than capable of ending their lives as well. A pit began to form in his stomach as the invisible dragon he and Badgerclops had faced off with began to seem like a much smaller ordeal than it had first appeared.

“So, then… what are you saying?” Mao Mao finally asked.

“What I’m sayin’ is…” Hosstrich took another, longer drink, “don’t be goin’ into this with any regrets.”

Mao Mao blinked. “Regrets?”

Hosstrich’s movements began to lax. He settled into his seat, refilling his glass with straight moonshine. Setting the bottle on the floor, Hosstrich kicked his feet up and began rocking again. He giggled softly as he lost his balance, swaying backwards and forwards in an effort to keep his drink upright.

“Some of us find solace at the end of a bottle. Others find it in a holy book, or the arms of a lover.”

The look that Hosstrich gave Mao Mao as he finished his sentence sent his tail on end. As if expecting that reaction, Hosstrich snickered into his drink as he slipped further into his stupor.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to imply, Hosstrich, but I’ve got better things to do than listen to your drunk ramblings.” Mao Mao declared, avoiding eye contact.

“Boy, jus’ go talk with ‘yer badger friend inside,” Hosstrich waved him off once more, “I’ve seen the way y’all exchange glances at one another. You kids think you’re slick, but ‘ya ain’t.”

Despite the high ambient temperature, Mao Mao could feel his face burning. Silenced by the drunken assurity in Hosstrich’s voice, Mao Mao scoffed as he directed his gaze back towards the sky.

* * *

Mao Mao was the last to re-enter the house. One by one, the Sky Pirates made their way inside, carrying bundled-up extension cords and fans with them. Hosstrich was the last Sky Pirate to leave, having sat in silence until the sun went below the horizon.

“Now boy,” Hosstrich said, stopping between the door and the patio, “don’t you forget what I told ‘ya. Ol’ Hosstrich done been around the block a few times, and lemme tell ‘ya - ‘Twas better to have loved ‘n lost than to never‘ve loved at all.”

Mao Mao shot a glance at the pirate, his gaze cold and indecipherable. Hosstrich’s unfocused, wavering eyes blinked back a couple times before he turned towards the door. With a lazy grunt towards nothing in particular, Hosstrich went inside and fumbled his way up the stairs, leaving the door open behind him. With the last pirate gone, Mao Mao was alone with the night. He looked at the door, a forlorn expression manifesting on his face. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get Hosstrich’s words out of his head. Although he hated to admit it, he was right. There really was no telling what the future had in store, and whether or not they were all going to make it out on the other side. He would certainly regret not having opened up to his partner, but even now he found himself asking: Was he ready?

Mao Mao swallowed, as if to answer the question in his head, and went inside.

Badgerclops was sprawled out on the bed, directing a small battery-powered hand fan towards his face. His spackled fur was similarly matted with sweat, giving it a slight sheen as the burgeoning rays of the rising moon struck his puffy chest. Mao Mao stopped at the door, looking him over with a slight smile. His digits slipped into his pockets as he leaned against the frame, resting the side of his head against the old wood. 

He stared at his once-deputy from across the room, quietly reminiscing on their past. He remembered the first time they had clasped hands together in friendship, and the time they spent as vigilantes. He remembered the day they first arrived in Pure Heart Valley, and their subsequent introductions to Adorabat, the Sky Pirates, and the king. The more he thought, the more vivid the myriad of memories became—old arguments, silly fights, and not-so-friendly competitions.

“Light of my life. Wind in my sails.”

Badgerclops snorted awake, sitting up with a look of momentary surprise. He settled down as he made out Mao Mao’s frame through blurry eyes.

“Oh, Mao Mao! What’s up?” Badgerclops yawned, rubbing his eye. “And, uh, did you say something?”   


  
“Nah,” Mao Mao shook his head, kicking himself off of the door frame as he sauntered over to their bed, “just thinkin’ out loud.”

“Cool, cool,” Badgerclops nodded, powering off the hand fan and setting it on the floor behind him. “What were you, uh… thinkin’ about?”

Mao Mao sighed, pawing his way across the covers. He settled onto his pillow, staring up at the ceiling as he rested his paws on his chest.

“I don’t know. A lot of things.”

“Sounds deep.”

“It’s not… that deep. I’m just reminiscing, I guess.”

“Ah, yeah. I’ve been doing that a lot, too.”

Mao Mao’s eyes widened a bit. He hadn’t acknowledged it since he mentioned it back at their home, but Badgerclops had hinted at having a view of him that was... different, to say the least. 

Mao Mao cleared his throat, already feeling his face begin to redden in anticipation. “About- about what?”

It was Badgerclops’ turn to sigh, turning towards Mao Mao yet looking past him—at least, past the Mao Mao that laid next to him. His eye grew heavy as his lower lip stiffened, as if unsure whether he wanted to smile or cry.

“Us, I guess. Well, the ‘you’ I knew. How we got along… or, how I thought we got along… before all of this started.”

“I let you call me pet names when nobody was around?” Mao Mao asked, staring intently at the ceiling.

Badgerclops snickered, rubbing the side of his head onto his pillow. “More than that…”

Mao Mao gulped, feeling his throat go dry. He tried to steady his breath, but it shook with an involuntary, audible inhale. “Like?”

“Well… remember the day this started?”

“Y-yeah. I woke up in a room I didn’t recognize, with a tail that I thought I had lost years ago…”

“And?”   


  
“A-and I was… in bed with you…”

  
Badgerclops’ eye was burning a hole in the side of Mao Mao’s head. He darted a pupil towards his partner, feeling sweat from a source other than the temperature of the room beginning to form on his brow.

“Without… any… clothes.”

Badgerclops nodded, his mouth having decided on a smile.

“D-did we…?”

“No, no, Mao. We didn’t do anything that night. Well… not too much.”

“W-what did we do?”

“I could tell you…”   
  
The shuffling of covers betrayed Badgerclops’ movements, coming within inches of Mao Mao and propping himself up on an arm. Mao Mao turned as well, resting his paws in front of him as his eyes met his partner’s uncharacteristically confident stare.

“Or…”

“Or?”

  
Badgerclops brushed a claw across Mao Mao’s cheek, cradling the side of his head in his palm as their eyes met.

“I could show you.”

  
Badgerclops blinked, his chest expanding as his nostrils flared. He recoiled, taking his hand off of Mao Mao as he hopped back on the bed. Mao Mao raised a paw to his own cheek, feeling the fleeting touch of Badgerclops’ paw on him.

“I-I’m so sorry, Mao. I was getting caught up in the- in how we- and, like-”

“Show me.”

Badgerclops stopped, his mouth hanging open slightly as his eye met Mao Mao’s stare.

“What?”   


  
“I said…” Mao Mao sighed, sliding his paw off of his cheek and extending it towards Badgerclops, “...show me.”

Badgerclops glanced between Mao Mao’s hand and his face. “Y-... you’re sure?”

Mao Mao took another deep breath, staring at the bed. Nodding slightly, he raised his eyes slowly, returning to Badgerclops’ gaze and giving him a slight smile.

  
“I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. Or the day after that. I don’t know what’s going to happen to me, or us, but… I don’t want to go forward with any regrets… about what could have been.”

Badgerclops’ mouth hung open a bit. The implication of Mao Mao’s statement washed over him like a cold wave, causing him to look away as he processed it. He swallowed hard and closed his eye. Taking in a deep breath, he looked to Mao Mao once more and reached out to him. Clasping the feline’s small, soft paw, he dragged Mao Mao closer as he smiled in affirmation.

“So, where were we?” Mao Mao muttered.

“Well,” Badgerclops said, sliding his other hand down Mao Mao’s side, “it was real similar to now. You didn’t come to bed naked.”

As he spoke, Badgerclops lifted Mao Mao off of the bed, bringing him to his stomach and setting him down. Mao Mao looked down at him, practically vibrating with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation, but still managing a confident, albeit wavering smile.

“First, I took your shirt off, kinda like this…” Badgerclops said, drawing his paws underneath Mao Mao’s button-down and running his palms along Mao Mao’s underarms. Mao Mao complied, raising his arms above his head as Badgerclops pulled the worn, red-and-black flannel off of him. Once it was freed, Badgerclops tossed it to the end of the bed.

“O-okay…” Mao Mao stammered, feeling his fur bristle.

“And then,” Badgerclops mused, putting a claw to his mouth, “I think you put on a little show for me.”

“Oh, did I?” Mao Mao smirked.

Badgerclops nodded, softening his gaze.

“And how’d that make you feel?”

“I- uh…” Badgerclops looked away, his cheeks flaring, “it was… nice.”

Mao Mao chuckled softly, bringing his paws to the bottom of his sleeveless shirt. He crossed his arms, grabbing at the fabric. In one swift motion, he slid it off of him, exposing his naked chest to his partner as he discarded the shirt to the end of the bed. Mao Mao’s chest heaved, the tuft of fur on his chest swaying between his defined muscles. He held his arms in the air, clasping his paws together and flexing his chest in his partner’s face. Badgerclops was enraptured by the display, tenderly grasping at Mao Mao’s sides. They panted, staring at one another in a haze. Mao Mao unclasped his paws, bringing his arms down to Badgerclops’ shoulders.   
  
“Kinda like that?” Mao Mao asked.

“Just like that.”

“And then?”

Mao Mao bent his arms, lowering himself towards Badgerclops’ face. Even as he asked the question, he had a pretty good idea of how to proceed. Their mouths parted as they settled onto one another, turning their heads as they began to kiss. Mao Mao brought his paws up to Badgerclops’ cheeks, pressing his open palms against his fur as he hungrily enveloped the badger’s mouth. Badgerclops drew his claws downwards, massaging Mao Mao’s rear. The unbuttoned, loosened jeans began to shimmy down Mao Mao’s sides as he grinded against Badgerclops, gently pressing himself against his stomach and rocking himself forward. Badgerclops began to grasp at the fabric, helping shove it down to Mao Mao’s knees. Mao Mao kicked his legs out, ruffling them off of him in a flurry of denim. The jeans landed against the edge of the bed, hanging off the side by its pant legs.

All that remained between the two of them was the thin, cyan fabric of Mao Mao’s boxer shorts. The shorts rode up Mao Mao’s body, pressed like a thong as Badgerclops ran his claws against Mao Mao’s bare ass. Reaching up with two claws, Badgerclops hooked his digits around the waistband of Mao Mao’s shorts. As he pulled the waistband down, the two of them exchanged a look. Neither of them could settle on an expression, but the nod that Mao Mao gave was more than enough for Badgerclops. He pulled the shorts down Mao Mao’s legs, causing them to hang loosely between his ankles.

Their naked bodies pressed against one another, fur intersecting as they settled into their respective positions. Mao Mao began to drift his head down, kissing at Badgerclops’ neck as he burrowed his head between his neck and shoulder. Badgerclops helped himself to Mao Mao’s body, grasping at handfuls of his backside.

Both of them had begun to stir. To Mao Mao, the hot, tight press of his flesh against Badgerclops’ fur felt more pleasurable than he was willing to admit. Badgerclops could feel himself dripping onto his lower stomach, his tip twitching dangerously close to the feline’s ass.

“W-wait,” Badgerclops huffed as his movements ceased. He released Mao Mao from his grip, putting his paws to his side as Mao Mao gasped for breath, staring at him from inches away.

“For what?” Mao Mao breathed.

  
“This is… this is where we stopped. That night.”

“Hmm,” Mao Mao hummed, drawing himself out of his stupor of arousal and heat. “Why?”

Badgerclops shrugged. “You said you weren’t… ready. Like, it was fun, but you needed a little more time to be ready to go… y’know.”

Mao Mao nodded to himself, looking at Badgerclops’ chest. His eyes drifted to the sheets underneath them, already dampened with sweat. He glanced out the window, towards the patio where they had sat not even an hour ago. He saw the expanse of the forest beyond, reminding him of the bed he had first woken up in.

“Mao?”   


  
Mao Mao swallowed, returning his gaze to Badgerclops, whose mouth tightened in a nervous smile. Mao Mao sighed, returning a slight smile of his own.

“No regrets, right?”   


  
Badgerclops nodded, bringing a hand back up to the side of Mao Mao’s face.

  
“No regrets.”

Mao Mao shuffled his legs, scooching up Badgerclops’ body so he could meet him at eye level. As he did so, as if to seal their commitment, his underwear slid off of his feet and into the space between Badgerclops’ legs.

They met once more, joining bodies as their lips interlocked. Their grinding continued, rubbing sensitive areas against fur. They elicited moans and grunts of pleasure from one another, bucking hips and grasping each other intermittently as they struggled to find an appropriate rhythm. The heat of the night, along with the outpouring of passion, was muddling their thoughts. The only thought they shared—a pulsating, blaring desire that erupted from the very core of their minds—was that they wanted each other. 

Desperate paws padded against faces. Members twitched as friction increased. Lubrication was applied and fingers were inserted. Their minds could hardly keep up with their movements, or comprehend their motives, as they began to find themselves in the midst of intercourse. Slowly, Badgerclops began to tease himself inside Mao Mao from behind. In response, Mao Mao began to rock his hips back, riding him.

Badgerclops made audible grunts as he pressed further, pulling down on Mao Mao’s sides as he thrust himself to the hilt. Mao Mao responded with yelps of his own, barely attempting to stifle the sounds he made as he continued to drip onto Badgerclops’ chest. He glided along the dampened fur, his movements practically involuntary as he pressed harder against his partner. All he could register at the moment was how good it felt—releasing a desire that had been buried within him for so long. Tomorrow was a century away, and the only thing he focused on was his desire to indulge himself further.

They stopped for a moment, filling the air with steamy breaths as they glanced at one another. They both did their best to smile, drunk on raging hormones and pouring with sweat.

  
“You good?” Badgerclops breathed.

  
Mao Mao nodded. “Yeah.”   


  
“You wanna… take a break, or?”   


  
“Hell no.”

“Good, me neither.”

They shared another kiss, working back into their motions. The air was muggy with sweat and musk, reinvigorating them with each intoxicating breath. Badgerclops rested his hands on Mao Mao’s hips, bringing his legs up as he cradled the feline between his head and thighs.

“Badgerclops,” Mao Mao gasped between breaks in their kissing, “start jerking me off, please.”

  
“O-oh, sure, yeah,” Badgerclops responded, bringing a hand to Mao Mao’s front. 

He squeezed a hand between their bodies, finding Mao Mao’s member and teasing it between his digits. He grasped Mao Mao’s manhood in his palm, eliciting slick, sucking sounds as he began to massage it. The faint, wet slapping coincided with the steady, audible thrusts that Badgerclops made. They were united in a symphony of sensuality, with a bass of creaking floorboards and an ensemble of squeaking bed springs. 

Their passion crescendoed as they approached climax, their eyes shutting tight as they felt the pressure build inside of them. A release unlike anything they had ever known was bursting forth, tearing away at restraints and the last dregs of their inhibitions. Mouths were uncovered, shouting into the night—and at one another, as their embrace tightened. Mao Mao buried his head in Badgerclops’ shoulder, grasping his fur as tears pricked at his eyes. Badgerclops nuzzled his head onto Mao Mao’s, still pleasuring him with one hand while the other grasped at the back of his head. They leaned into one another—grunting, shouting, muttering—as their bodies began to quake.

The intensity of their climax brought out another round of brief yelps. Mao Mao buckled as his body tingled with ecstasy. Thick, white ropes trailed from Badgerclops’ chest to his stomach, where Mao Mao now laid. Badgerclops couldn’t stand the constricting pressure around his member any longer, releasing inside the feline until he began to feel it leak and splatter against his thighs. His knees gave out as his body went numb in orgasmic bliss, slouching back onto the bed with a faint squeak of bed springs.

Time was a blur. The black, moon-lit sky gave them just enough light to make out the other’s face in the now-quiet room. The faint, emerald glow of Mao Mao’s eyes stared towards the window, blinking occasionally as he regained his faculties by degrees. Badgerclops cradled the feline on his chest, having drawn one arm diagonally across his back while the other pet the side of his head. Mao Mao didn’t move, nor did he protest, only voicing his consent through a low, sustained purr as he flexed his paws against his partner’s fur.

“Mao… you still up?” Badgerclops whispered, his voice hoarse.

“Mhm.”

  
“How are you feeling?”   


  
Mao Mao let out a short, weak chuckle.

“Amazing.”

Badgerclops drew Mao Mao tighter around him, giggling.

“Me, too.”

Mao Mao took in a long, slow breath. “I think I owe you an apology.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because. I… I didn’t know. How close we were. Or… could’ve been.”

“Ah, come on, Mao, you don’t have to apologize for that.”   


  
“Don’t I, though? We’ve been so close for so long, but I didn’t even try to… y’know.”

“It’s ok! Really. It wasn’t any different before all this, either. We just… got a little bit closer, I guess. Having the house to ourselves really helped smooth things along. I’d bet that in your reality we aren’t all that much farther apart, either.”

“That should make me feel better, but…” Mao Mao sighed.

“But?”   


  
“I owe you- er, him... ugh... a lot more than an apology. I can’t believe how blind I’ve been to this…”

“Mao Mao, look at me,” Badgerclops commanded, clearing his throat a bit, “you don’t have to apologize for anything.   
  
“But-”   


“Just… promise me something, alright?”   


  
Mao Mao looked to Badgerclops, giving him a slight nod.

“Whatever happens tomorrow... whatever happens to me, or you, or  _ us _ —whether you… go home or whatever… don’t forget this. Don’t forget what we had, and what we have. Don’t forget that your Badgerclops feels the same way about you as I feel about you now. This isn’t something that could’ve been. It’s something that was meant to be, y’know?”

Something about the statement, or the sentiment within, caught him off-guard. Mao Mao sniffled, giving his partner a crooked smile as he wiped at his eyes. “Y-you’re right... you’re right.”   


  
Badgerclops beamed. “Of course I am. I’m the smart one!”

“Shut up,” Mao Mao muttered, giving his face a playful shove before kissing him on the cheek. “I won’t forget. I can’t forget. If this is what we could’ve had, then… then I only wish I could’ve done this sooner.”

Badgerclops brought a paw to Mao Mao’s cheek, cradling the side of his head as he wiped a tear away with a claw. “You’ll make up for it. I know you will. And this isn’t the end, right? It’s just the beginning.”

Mao Mao shared another short, quiet kiss with his partner. “Yeah. I know what I’m fighting for. What we’re fighting for.”

Badgerclops brought Mao Mao to his chest, giving him a tight hug. “And nothing can stop us.”

Mao Mao sighed, drawing his hands to his partner’s sides. Wrapped around him in a lazy hug, Mao Mao let the quiet of the evening overtake him. He made out the sounds of the night, from the muffled chirping of crickets outside to the steady beat of Badgerclops’s heart. He could even make out the faint creaking of the house’s old wood from the floor above.

“ _ I… I think they’re done?” _ _  
_

_  
_ Mao Mao’s eyes shot open.

_ “I’ll be. They done did it for the better part of an hour. _ ”

Hosstrich. Orangusnake.

_ “Y’know what that means, boy. Pay up! _ ”

_ “Ugh. Whatever. _ ”   


  
_ ‘They were taking bets… on…’  _ Mao Mao’s mind flared.

_ “Heh heh, easiest twenty dollars I ever made.” _ _  
_

_  
_ Mao Mao thrust himself off of Badgerclops, bile and rage curdling in the back of his throat. He had half a mind to run up there, stark naked and sword in hand, but Badgerclops brought him back down with another firm hug.

“Don’t bother, bro. You’re worth way more than twenty dollars, I promise.”

Surprised that Badgerclops had heard the villains’ chat upstairs, he let out a huff as he gave in to his partner’s embrace.

“We should’ve gotten a more… private room.”

“Nah. I wanted them to hear us.”

“Badgerclops!”

“What? You should know, I’m kinda freaky like that.”

They exchanged a look for a few seconds, faces deadpan before Mao Mao began to crack. They both dissolved into laughter, pulling one another tighter as they settled back down. The laughter gradually petered out into sighs, the two of them closing their eyes once more.

“We’ll take care of them in the morning.”   


  
“Agreed.”   


  
Badgerclops leaned forward, planting a small kiss on Mao Mao’s forehead.

“Good night, Mao.”   


  
“Good night, Badgerclops.”

“I love you.”

“...I love you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> It's worth noting that I might've also stumbled into a plot point or two along the way, which I promise was purely coincidental. It was all within a haze of smut, but I was told to point this out nonetheless. Thank you for reading! Your feedback is, as always, appreciated, and please stay tuned for the continuation of the main story!


End file.
